American Flags and Syrup
by UnaVitaSegreta
Summary: Post Season 7 smutty story! Luke, Lorelai, and some fun one morning in the kitchen.
1. Chapter 1

"What in the world are you wearing?" Luke asked, coming out of the kitchen to find Lorelai standing in the living room at the foot of the stairs.

"It's a bathing suit," she confirmed, her hands resting on her hips.

"It has a flag on it," he noticed, his eyes slowly raking down her body. "And stars..."

"The American flag, Luke," she confirmed yet again.

"The fourth of July was last week." 

They were talking in circles, neither really understanding each other.

"I know," she chirped, "but I didn't get to wear it last week. And I paid $70 for it, so I want to wear it."

"You're not going to work like that, are you?" he asked.

"Who are you ... Emily Gilmore?"

Luke scoffed, annoyed by the comparison. "I just don't see why you are wearing a bikini when it is overcast outside."

"I'm not going outside," she confirmed.

Luke mumbled something incomprehensible and turned back to the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready," he announced, walking out of Lorelai's sight.

Lorelai bounced into the kitchen, following close behind him. It was then that Luke noticed the cowboy boots she was wearing. An American flag bikini and cowboy boots. Forcing his eyes back to the pan on the stove, he scooped out the contents with his spatula. If he stared at her too much in that bathing suit, he'd spend all day fantasizing about it. And it was already hard enough to not just grab her.

"Pancakes," Lorelai smiled as he sat the plate down on the table. She slid into a chair. "I love it when you spend the night. It keeps my kitchen from decaying.

"You haven't touched this place since Rory left, have you?" he asked. Everything was always in the same spot and she wasn't organized enough to always keep it like this. This meant it hadn't ever been touched.

"Nope," she chirped, pressing her fork into a stack of four pancakes as they practically melted. "She's been gone six weeks now." Lorelai looked around the kitchen. "Syrup?" 

Luke stepped to the fridge, grasping the shaky handle. He made yet another mental note of something he needed to fix.

"Bottom shelf," Lorelai informed him, watching as he bent over. "Nice ass," she commented, her mouth full of pancakes.

Luke grasped for the dark-colored bottle. Its handle was sticky. "How long has this been in here?" he asked, looking back at her.

"When was the last time you made pancakes?" Her mouth was still full as she spoke.

"Lorelai! That was over a year ago! Well over a year ago," he added.

"Then, it's been in there well over a year." She held her hand out for the bottle. "Gimme..."

"You can't use this," he scoffed, turning the bottle to its side to read the label and search for the expiration date.

Lorelai pushed her chair back, stretching her arm out to grab the bottle from him. As she did so, her bra top shifted to the left. Watching as her breast jiggled, Luke felt an all-too-familiar twitch. Grabbing the bottle from him, she smiled as she sat back down with a plop.

Luke watched as she held the bottle in her hands, pressing her thumb over the top before shaking it. Her entire body shook as she mixed up the contents and for a few seconds he thought she was shaking so forcefully on purpose. Either way, his eyes were glued to her breasts as they moved, perfectly covered by the bikini top.

Popping the lid up, Lorelai yelped as it made a gulping sound and the contents spritzed out onto on her face and upper body. 

Luke couldn't contain the laugh that escaped him as Lorelai brought her hand to her face to wipe the syrup from her eyes. Slowly opening one eye, she looked at him unhappily. "You think this is funny?" she asked.

Luke choked back another laugh. "No," he stated in a more serious tone. "Not at all," he added, unable to contain his laughter this time.

"Luke!" she protested. As she looked at him an idea came to mind. Turning the bottle to face him, she held it in her hands, ready to squeeze. "Laugh again," she threatened.

"Don't you dare!" he retorted, backing away from her just a bit.

Lorelai giggled. "And what if I do?" she asked, a glimmer of naughtiness in her eyes. "What will you do to me, then?"

"Don't," he warned. "I have to get to the diner soon. Cesar can't be left alone for too long."

"Cesar …" she began moving her hands further down the bottle, "… is more capable," she taunted him, squeezing it gently enough that only some air escaped, "than you think."

"What if we discuss a settlement that is suitable to the both of us?" he suggested, his eyes watching her hands as they grasped the bottle.

"And what might that entail?" Lorelai asked, following his gaze. Her hands were directly in front of her chest and she knew Luke had quite a viewpoint from where he was standing. She stood up from her chair, moving to sit on the edge of the table.

"Since you are already wearing disposable clothing..." Luke moved back towards her, reaching for the syrup bottle. 

Lorelai willing let him take it from her hands. She remained silent, watching as he shook the bottle and turned it upside down. Holding it above her, they both watched as the syrup began to pour out of the bottle and splattered onto her chest. The thick substance slid down her chest and over her breasts. As it permeated the bra top, Lorelai glanced up at Luke. Seeing the devilish grin on his face, her own smile matched his

"Oh no, Luke," she feigned. "I think I'm going to need a shower..."

"Not yet," he groaned, pushing her back onto the table. Letting him guide her down, the tabletop felt cool against her back. Once again pouring the syrup onto her body, he let it fall onto her shoulder and poured down across her breast. Dribbling it over her stomach, he finally set the bottle aside. As soon as the bottle left his hands, he mouth was upon her neck. His tongue followed the path of the syrup as it ran down her collar bone and across her chest. Finally reaching the bikini-clad breast, he covered it with his mouth despite the barrier. Whipping his tongue across the syrupy fabric, he teased the nipple beneath it. The material was rough against his tongue yet he continued. Lorelai groaned, her hands reaching out for the side of the table to try and control herself.

Content that he had licked every drop of syrup from the bra, he finally grasped the material and pushed it aside. Her perfectly erect breast came bubbling out. Reaching once again for the bottle of syrup, he poured it directly onto her, circling the nipple with his expert pouring skills. Lorelai gasped as the cool liquid met her skin, feeling it sliding across her breast as it trickled down her side. 

Once again, Luke's mouth was upon her breast. His tongue danced around the nipple, circling it numerous times. The moans never stopped pouring from Lorelai's lips as he began to roughly flick his tongue back and forth, trying to lick up every drab of syrup. She grasped the edge of the table, trying to control herself as Luke stood between her legs, bent over her body.

Glancing up at Lorelai, Luke smiled. Her eyes were closed and her right arm was draped across her forehead. Content with her hard, bright pink nipple, he brushed his thumb across it. Lorelai groaned again. Lifting her head up, she opened her eyes. "You know it isn't fair to play favorites..." she smiled weakly. 

Catching her hint, Luke grinned back at her. "Oh, believe me, I've got big plans yet to come," he teased, his voice husky with desire.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai asked as he moved away from the table. Propping her elbows beneath her, she pushed her upper body up to watch as Luke opened the door to the refrigerator.

"I've had enough syrup," he grinned, pulling out the bottle of chocolate syrup.

Lorelai's smile matched his as he moved back to stand between her legs, reaching out to lie her back down on the table again.

"My table is going to be ruined," she commented.

"I'll buy you a new one," he informed her, popping the lid to the syrup. With his left hand, he freed her other breast from the bra top as well. He raked his thumb across the nipple, pinching it a few times to make it more erect. Lorelai groaned, her eyes sliding shut. He then took the bottle in his other hand and turned it upside down, watching as its contents poured out onto her body. 

Lorelai once again squirmed as the cold liquid covered her skin. The chocolate syrup was less dense that the maple syrup and immediately began to trickle down the side of her body. 

Content that he had enough syrup, Luke cast the bottle aside. Brushing his fingers under her breast, he cupped it in his left hand. His thumb ran across it, touching every spot but the nipple. Hearing Lorelai moan beneath him, he finally lowered his head down to take the breast in his mouth. Sucking it harshly, he tasted the sweet chocolate flavor in his mouth. Lorelai moaned and writhed beneath him as he held her nipple between his teeth, flicking his tongue back and forth across it time and time again. She finally cried out, overwhelmed by the sensation. 

As he teased her breast with his mouth, his other hand slid down her torso and over her thigh. Feeling his hand tracing the line of her bikini bottom, she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming.

Luke glanced his eyes up at Lorelai, smiling at the effect he was having upon her. Finally, he removed his mouth from her breast. Lorelai gasped, trying to find air to fill her lungs. She remained still atop the table as the sensations continued to rock her body even though his mouth was no longer upon her breast. It was as if she could still feel him and what he had done to her.

She finally opened her eyes as she felt Luke tugging at her bikini bottom. "I don't think you need this," he grinned. It took all the strength she could muster to lift her hips enough for him to pull them off.

"Luke," she groaned, looking up at him. Their eyes met and she could see the smile on his lips.

Sliding the bottom down her legs, he grinned down at her as he repositioned himself between her legs. 

"I'm never going to look at this room the same," she moaned, feelings his hands circle her thighs.

"You haven't seen anything yet," he replied. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Kimberly for being my beta on this story. She is a virtual thesaurus!**

* * *

Letting go of her legs, he moved his hands to his belt buckle. Lorelai struggled to push herself up on her elbows and then into a seated position as her hands reached out to begin unbuttoning his shirt. After a few seconds, she was annoyed with how long it took to undo each button. Instead, she grasped the edge of the shirt and yanked it apart. Luke grinned proudly at her brazen behavior, not even upset about the ruined shirt. He had just undone his belt buckle as Lorelai shoved his hands aside and was yanking the belt from its loops. His pants were next as she shoved them and his boxers to the floor in one fluid motion.

Lying back down onto the table, she circled his waist with her legs. "I need you now," she groaned.

Giving in to her demand, he grasped her thighs and plunged into her as forcefully as he could. Their skin collided loudly and Lorelai emitted a high-pitched scream as she felt his entire length inside of her within seconds. Not giving her even a moment to think, he quickly withdrew himself and once again forcefully thrust into her. The moans poured from her lips as he repeatedly took her over and over again, never stopping.

Lorelai grasped the edge of the table, waves of pleasure wracking her body as Luke moved in and out of her. Her perfect breasts bounced up and down as her body shook. The cool feel of the table brushed against her body as her back arched up to meet each thrust and moved down again as he withdrew, preparing for another forceful thrust.

They both lost any track of time as their bodies moved together, responding to each other. Lorelai slid her hand up her stomach pressing her head back against the table as she bit her lip, unable to contain the sounds that escaped. It was a pure, electric sensation that shot through her body every time that he thrust against her.

Luke looked down at her, enjoying the view of her body as he slid in and out of her. There was something so primal and raw about their lovemaking that caused it to never be dull or even the same as the last time. It was always new and exciting and somehow more daring than ever before.

Lorelai could feel his hands grasping her thighs as he pulled her body towards him. Lifting her hips, he thrust into her once more, holding his position. She felt her entire body shiver as he thrust into her one final time. Her eyes were closed tightly, yet she could see different shards of color as her pulse raced faster and faster. Gasping for air, she finally opened her eyes. She had to blink a few times to clear her blurry vision before she could see Luke standing in front of her, pulling up his jeans and fumbling with his belt buckle.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, pushing herself up to sit on the edge of the table.

"I have to get to work," he stated, reaching down to pick up his flannel shirt.

Lorelai slid off the end of the table … "What about those big plans you had?"

"Big plans?" he feigned, acting as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

Lorelai put her hands on her hips. "I am standing here naked and you're seriously going to leave and go to work? We just …"

Unable to hold his façade any longer, Luke couldn't keep the smile from his face. "I took the day off," he admitted.

"Luke!" she protested, playfully slapping his chest.

Reaching his arms out, he pulled her to him to kiss her forehead. "I hope that you've covered at the Inn because I have no intentions of letting you put any clothing on today," he whispered into her ear.

Lorelai grinned, nuzzling her head against his neck. "What about you?" she asked. "Are you going to be wearing any clothes either?"

"That depends …"

"On what?" she asked.

"On whether or not you can beat me up to the shower," he stated, pushing her aside as he jogged out of the kitchen.

"Luke Danes!" she shouted, quickly following behind him.

As they rounded the landing at the stairs, Lorelai reached her hand out to grasp the belt loop on the back of his jeans. Curling her fingers around it, she yanked on the material. Luke stumbled back to the bottom of the stairs. Smiling as she tried to pass him, he grabbed her from behind.

"No!" she laughed, trying to free herself from his grasp. Yet he had his arms wrapped around her waist and struggling was useless.

"Do you give up?" he asked in her ear.

Feeling his breath on her neck and the tone of his voice, she didn't reply verbally but simply nodded. Pressing her nude body back against his, she felt his hand sliding down her stomach.

Lorelai rolled her head back, resting it on his shoulder as his hand slipped between her legs. Her left hand grasped the railing to support her body as Luke held her body up with his arm that was still wrapped around her. She moaned the moment she felt his fingers slip inside of her.

Arching her back, she had to bite her lip as he began to massage her sensitive skin. Feeling the tension build in her legs, she leaned back against him as the feeling of what he was doing began to spread across her body. The sensation of him moving inside of her changed every time that he moved his hand, increasing the pressure of his fingers as they moved against her. "Luke," she choked out, her voice catching in the back of her throat. Her knees finally gave out and Luke held her tightly against him. Lorelai could feel the pressure building and her breathing grew harder and deeper as Luke continued to massage her. Just as she was about to reach her peak, he suddenly slipped his hand from between her legs.

Lorelai turned her head to express her confusion as to why he stopped yet Luke eased her down, pushing her into a kneeling position on the bottom set of the stairs. The cold hardwood was a shock to her nude body yet she allowed him to dominate her movements. His hands ran down the sides of her body as he kissed her shoulder. Grasping her upper arms for a moment, he slid his hands down the length of her arms, grasping her wrists. He placed her hands against one of the stairs, his body pressed against hers. The wood was hard against her knees but she was too wrapped up in anticipation that she didn't seem to notice how uncomfortable it felt to kneel on the hardwood stairs.

She pushed her weight against her palms, her legs still feeling weak. Closing her eyes for a second, she could hear Luke moving behind her. He quickly unbuttoned his jeans, removing them in seconds. Before she knew what was happening his body was pressed back against hers.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Lorelai nodded, unable to even reply before she felt his hands grasping her hips and his erection pressing into her. He was slow at first, giving her body time to accept him. Taking a moment to enjoy the feel of being inside of her like this, he held his position. Lorelai shifted her hips, pushing back against him. It took nothing more than that for him to pull out and thrust back into her.

Surprised by the intensity of their lovemaking, Lorelai groaned deeply, her head falling forward. She could see Luke's fingertips as they grasped her hips, holding her in place as he repeatedly thrust against her. Each time that she felt him filling her she felt her breath catch in the back of her throat, a moan escaping her lips.

Luke watched himself gliding in and out of her, seeing her back arch as her body responded to his. Bending forward slightly, he pressed his lips against her shoulder. Lorelai gasped for air as he bent forward, thrusting more deeply into her. His left arm slid around her waist, holding her against him as he continued to thrust into her but less forcefully than before.

He could feel himself close to his peak as he held her body against his. The scent of her perfume mixed with the noises that she was making were more than enough to send him over the edge. Resting his knee against the stair to support them, he slid his hand between her legs once again.

Lorelai bit her lip, moaning in delight as she felt him pressing into her once more. He moved his hand in small circles, causing her to feel her climax approaching more quickly than she'd anticipated. As the familiar sensation began to work its way through her body, she knew that she was close to her peak. The wood was cold and hard against her knees and palms, yet they somehow only added to the whole experience. She managed to lift her arm, moving it to cover Luke's hand as he massaged her, causing her body to finally let go. He came only seconds behind her and she cried out as she felt a final sensation overwhelming her senses. It soared through her body causing her to shudder.

Luke slowly withdrew from her, watching as she collapsed against the stairs. He stood up and leaned against the railing, trying to catch his breath.

It took her a few seconds to catch her breath again in order to be able to speak. When she could finally manage to make a coherent sound, Lorelai rolled herself onto her back, moving to sit down on the steps. Her hand held onto the railing, still needing support to balance herself.

"I don't think I can walk," she stated, finally looking up at Luke.

He smiled, reaching his hand out to help her to her feet. She accepted his support, practically falling against him as she stood up. Before she knew what was going on, she felt Luke scooping her up into his arms.

"You're sticky," he grinned, walking up the stairs.

"I need a shower." Lorelai slid her arm around Luke's neck.

"Yes, we do," he agreed.

Lorelai groaned. "You're going to kill me, Danes."

"You can handle it," he smiled, using his foot to push open the door to her bedroom. "Besides, we have a lot of time left to make up for."

Releasing her from his embrace, he held her against him, gently brushing his lips across hers.

"We have the rest of our lives, Luke. I'm not going anywhere. Without you, I'm just not complete."

Luke smiled as he looked into her eyes, knowing that she meant every word. "Do you want kids?" he asked, brushing her hair from her face.

"What?" Lorelai pulled back a bit, looking into his eyes to try and figure out where that came from.

"I'm ready, Lorelai. I want this," he stated. "I don't want to go back to my apartment. Or to watch you leave to go home when dinner is over. I want to come home at night and see your car in the driveway. I want to wake up on the weekends and go mow our lawn. And I want to wake up with you every morning and go to bed with you every night. We've wasted too much time already. I don't want to waste any more time. I told you once before … I'm in this for good."

Lorelai smiled. "Are you asking me to marry you?" she choked out. Luke was about to reply, but she stopped him. "Because if you are, can we do this when we are clothed?"

Luke laughed. "You do know that by forfeiting this moment you are missing out on a wonderful story to horrify your parents."

Lorelai giggled. "I'm willing to live with that."

Luke nodded. "Shower?"

"Shower," she agreed.

"You smell like syrup still," he added, following her into the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you hungry?" Lorelai called from the bathroom, walking out in a silk robe. She stood in the doorway, working the excess water from the ends of her hair.

"Hungry?" Luke asked in shock.

"What? We didn't eat breakfast." She held her hands out, shocked that he wasn't as famished as she was.

"Lorelai …" he looked at her pointedly. "I know you have a short memory span when you need food, but …" She was still looking at him in amazement, as if she couldn't believe that he had no desire to eat. "We used half a bottle of maple syrup and nearly the whole thing of chocolate." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think I'll be consuming any food for days."

"You were the one who poured out so much!"

"I didn't hear you complaining," he argued, smiling at her wickedly.

"Not complaining, no," she mused. "But I'm still hungry."

Luke grinned. He had heard a lot of things coming from her lips, yet none of them were complaints. "I'll make you something to eat." Lorelai's face lit up. "Except pancakes," he added. Her face fell and Luke shook his head. "Fine, pancakes. But you are going to have to eat them without syrup."

"Sacrifices have to be made sometimes," she reasoned as he turned to walk out of the bedroom. "Hey, Luke…"

He stopped, looking back at her. "Thanks …" He shook his head, not understanding why she was thanking him, "for making me forget that Rory is gone."

The corner of his mouth turned up and he nodded his head slightly, disappearing down the hallway.

Lorelai held the towel in her hands, looking back down at it.

"_I have syrup in my hair," she muttered, peeling the hair from where it was stuck to her shoulders. Flicking on the light in the bathroom, she looked around for some clean towels._

_Luke pressed his nude body against the back of her, his arms around her waist. "Your skin is sticky, too," he added._

_Lorelai pushed herself from his embrace, feeling a bit slimy as she slipped away from him. "It is going to take forever to get this off of my body," she mused, opening the shower door._

"_Well, I'm a patient man. Look how long I waited for you."_

_Lorelai's hand stopped as it reached out for the shower knob. Turning her head to look at him, she smiled. Neither of them spoke again. They remained still for a few moments, looking into each other's eyes. Finally she remembered what she had been doing and twisted the knob, the water spraying down onto the tile._

Running her hands through her hair, she looked around the bathroom. As she stopped in front of the mirror, she looked back at the reflection of the shower behind her. Today was the first time that Luke had been back upstairs since their break-up last year.

_Sticking her hand out to test the water, Lorelai smiled. It was lukewarm. "Are you coming?" she asked, stepping into the shower. _

_Luke smiled, stepping forward to join her. He closed the door behind him and Lorelai quickly slid her arms around his waist._

_He looked around, confused as Lorelai began to kiss his neck. She slid her hands up to run across his chest, finally lifting her head to see him staring at the ceiling. "Luke…"_

"_When did you do this?" he asked, looking at the tile that lined the shower and its intricate pattern._

"_Chris had it installed," she answered, suddenly freezing when she realized what she'd said._

"_Oh," was his only reply. His entire body was stiff as he stood before her._

"_Luke…" she prodded. He didn't look at her but kept staring at the tile. "We have to talk about him sometime." Luke huffed. "We can't keep going around like this, ignoring what happened."_

"_We haven't ignored what happened. We talked about Chris. You apologized for sleeping with him and I apologized for keeping April a secret."_

_Lorelai looked up at him. "There's more to it than that and you know it. And we are never going to be able to move on if we just keep pretending that the elephant isn't in the room."_

"

"_It's what you did. You slept with Chris. You married Chris." His answer was short and unsatisfying._

"_Are you forgetting about the months and months before that? The weeks that you lied to me about April! Do you remember that? Or do you remember how you shut me out and refused to let me be part of your life? What about then, Luke? Do you remember those times?"_

"_That justifies you turning to another man? What happened with April…"_

"_I didn't say that," she cut him off. "I am just trying to say that you shut me out of you life. We were partners. We were a team, Luke. We were planning a life together and then suddenly you were gone. You let April into your life and you pushed me out. I wanted to marry you. I was the one asked you to marry me. I planned everything. I found a dress, a location … I even set a date!"_

"_I was trying to get to know my kid. You can't fault me for that."_

"_You had every right to want to know your child but why could I be part of that, too? Why couldn't we get to know her together?"_

"_Anna said –"_

"_I don't care what Anna said," she screamed. "Anna lied to you for over a decade! She kept your child from you. She deprived you of the chance to watch your child grow up. You owed nothing to Anna! I was your fiancée! I was the one you claimed to love! You turned your back on us, Luke."_

"_Me? I turned my back on us? I didn't sleep with someone else! I didn't turn to the one person that has always been around trying to break us up. I didn't go running to him the moment we started having problems. You did that."_

"_Started having problems? Started? Have you heard anything I've just said?" She held her hands out, clearly not understanding how he could be so clueless._

"_I was wrong to keep April from you. I was wrong to try and have a life with her and a life with you at different times. I was wrong to shut you out. I was trying to do what I thought was best. I was afraid that Anna would take her from me and I'd never see her again. I did what I thought was necessary. It wasn't the right decision, but I didn't betray you."_

"_Betray me?" she scoffed. "Luke, you checked out on me weeks before I slept with Chris. The day that you chose not to tell me about your kid, you betrayed me." She felt the tears in her eyes. "When I found out that you had a kid, my heart felt like it was ripped from my chest. It wasn't that you had a kid. It was that you didn't tell me. You. The man who has supposedly loved me for years and you didn't tell me. That hurt, Luke. That hurt worse than anything I've ever felt before." She took in a deep breath. "Looking back, I knew it then. I knew something was wrong. I knew that we were going downhill from there. Yet I didn't do anything to stop it. And when I finally came to you that night … I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't live like that anymore. I walked away from you … and you didn't follow me."_

"_You didn't give me a choice! You gave me an ultimatum," he argued. He dropped his hands to his sides, trying to turn away from her. "Can we not do this in the shower?" he demanded._

_Lorelai grunted, reaching out to shut off the water. Yet it didn't stop her from picking up on his last statement. "I gave you a choice, Luke. You just didn't make the choice that I wanted you to make."_

"_So you went and slept with Chris to ...what? To make me hurt as bad as you think I hurt you?"_

_Lorelai scoffed. "You think that I slept with Chris for revenge?" She shook her head. "You have no clue, Luke. Walking away from you was the hardest thing I've ever done. When you didn't come after me… I knew right then that we were through. I knew that we were never going to get married. We were never going to have the life that we had planned. In that moment, I knew that it was over. Everything was over."_

"_Well, I didn't know it was over, Lorelai …"_

_She bit her lip, trying to compose herself. "I got back to my car and I couldn't breathe. I felt like my whole life was falling apart. And so I did the one thing that I always do when I can't take it anymore. I went to Chris. I didn't go there to sleep with him. And I didn't go there to get revenge. I went there because it's what I do. Somewhere inside of me that reckless fifteen year old is still there. And when I hurt so bad that I can't think straight, I go to Chris and I feel like that little girl again. That night I felt like that fifteen year old child whose life was so messed up and who just wanted to forget. With him, I run away from my problems and I don't have to think or explain myself. He just understands."_

"_That's your excuse? You wanted to forget so you went to Chris."_

"_It isn't an excuse, Luke," she stated quietly. "I just want to tell you why I went there." She took a deep breath. "I wanted so badly to just forget about us. I never intended to sleep with Chris. I don't remember anything after I knocked on his door. Not until I woke up the next morning … and I was in his bed." Her voice broke as she spoke. "I never wanted to hurt you, Luke," she cried, the tears finally overtaking her. "You are the best man I've ever know." She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "I was just so lost and I didn't know what to do. I ruined everything. And there was nothing I could do to fix it. I knew you'd never forgive me. I just … I lost myself that night when I went to Chris. I … I don't know how to explain it, Luke. I wanted so desperately to convince myself that I didn't need you anymore and that I didn't want you anymore. And the harder I tried to convince myself, the harder I had to work to make myself believe it. I lost who I was." She had to wipe her cheeks again. "I never wanted to hurt you," she repeated slowly. "I just …" Burying her face in her hands, she could no longer hold off the sobs that wracked her body. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm so sorry." Her shoulders bent forward as she held her hands to her face, her body shaking as she cried._

_Luke looked down at her, feeling the anger in his heart melting away. He reached forward, pulling her into his arms. Lorelai clung to him, sobbing._

"_It's over now," he whispered. "It's over now."_

_It took Lorelai a few minutes to compose herself. Pulling out of his embrace, she looked up at him. "Can you …" she choked out, "If you can't forgive me for turning to Chris, then we can't do this, Luke. We can never make this work between us…" It hurt to say it, but she knew that it was true._

_He took a deep breath, nodding his head. "So I am," he finally admitted. "I gave up on us and what we had." Luke closed his eyes for a moment. "And I will never do that again," he breathed, opening his eyes to look into hers._

_Nodding her head, she felt her body trembling as she stood before him. Luke bent his head forward, tentatively pressing his lips against hers. Would it be different? Would they feel different? They had finally said what needed to be said. They had finally gotten rid of their excess baggage. So, would it feel different this time that they kissed?_

Lorelai felt a drop of water sliding down her back and suddenly she was jolted back to reality. Her wet hair needed to be dried. Smelling something wafting up from the old air ducts, she grabbed her hairdryer from under the counter and began to get ready.

* * *

**A Few Days Later …**

"I put the house up for sale this morning," Lorelai announced, taking a seat at the counter. The place was closed and Luke was just finishing up with the nightly cleaning.

Luke's head shot up and he stopped in front of her. "What?"

"I spoke to a real estate agent and I'm selling the house."

"But …" he began to argue. "That's your home."

Lorelai shook her head. "It _was_ my home," she corrected him. "Rory's gone now."

"That's no reason to sell your house."

"It's the perfect reason, Luke. It's time to move on. When I moved into that house, I was a silly young girl trying to raise a child on my own. It was all I could afford and even then I could barely just get by. Yet I did it somehow. I somehow raised a fantastic kid and I've had a great life there. But that part of my life is over now. Rory is gone."

"It's her home. She'll be back." He couldn't let her make such a major decision.

Lorelai shook her head. "It won't be the same, Luke." She looked down into her cup of coffee that he'd just placed before her. "I used to walk in the door and I felt like I was at home. I once sat in the kitchen and I felt comfortable. The upstairs and my bedroom were my haven from the world. Yet they aren't any more. Rory is gone, Luke. Yes, she'll be back, but I have myself and the rest of my life to think about. You said that you us to be together and to start a family. We can't do that in that house. It has too many memories already. Some of them are good ones but not all of them. I don't want to raise my kids in the house where I lived with Chris. It isn't the same anymore, Luke. It's not home. Rory's gone and it's not home. My home used to be with her but that part of my life is over now. She's grown and she doesn't need me to take care of her. I've spent the past twenty years putting her first and doing what is best for her. But she's gone and it's my turn to live. And what I want, Luke, is this… us. You and me. I want to start over and to do things right this time."

Luke nodded. "Okay." He didn't know what else to say.

Lorelai looked up at him. "I want to have a baby, Luke. I don't want to waste any more time. I've been a fool. You've been an idiot. We've both been so stupid and stubborn. I don't want to waste any more time just messing around."

"Okay," he repeated.

"Can't you say anything other than that?" she breathed, looking up from her cup to him.

"I…" he fumbled, trying to make his mind work, "Does this real estate agent you hired also help people to find houses?"

Lorelai smiled. "I think so."

"Well, I guess you should call her and tell her that we're in the market."

Lorelai squealed, pushing herself up from her stool to grab Luke's face and kiss him.

* * *

**Author's Note**: I hope you all still enjoyed the chapter even though there is no smut in it! I was going to write another smutty escapade and then this happened instead. I'm glad you guys have liked the first two chapters. I have one more (sorry, still non-smutty!) idea in my head. This story just keeps going and going! 


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure about this?" Luke asked, stepping out of the car as Lorelai turned off the engine. "I mean, I'm not exactly the person your parents would pick to join them for dinner…"

Lorelai shut her door, walking around the car. "It will be fine, Luke. They know you are back in my life."

"Yeah, but do they want me back in _their_ lives?" Lorelai rolled her head over to look at him, her eyes narrowed. "Come on, Lorelai … your mother thinks I'm just barely above trash," Luke stated, straightening his sports coat as they stood in front of the door. He rolled his shoulders back as he tried to prepare himself mentally for when the door opened.

"No, she doesn't." Luke stared at her, daring her to repeat that again and hear how ridiculous she sounded. "Ok, maybe she did in the past. Yet things have changed, Luke. They were about to buy us a house before we … before," she caught herself. Now was not the time to get into that again. "A lot has changed this past year. I think they finally understand some things."

"I hope," he muttered as Lorelai reached for the doorbell.

As soon as the bell was rung, the door opened. A shocked Emily flung the door back, trying to hold her surprise in check as she addressed her daughter and then her companion. "Lorelai … Luke …"

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai smiled, stepping inside as she slid her purse off her shoulder.

"Uh, Luke, it's nice to see you," Emily stammered, watching as Lorelai and Luke stepped into the foyer.

"It's nice to see you, too, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke choked out, realizing that Lorelai hadn't actually told her mother that there would be an extra person for dinner. As the maid took Lorelai's bag and disappeared from the foyer, Luke looked from Emily to Lorelai. "She didn't tell you I was coming, did she?"

"No," Emily breathed, relieved that Luke at least felt as awkward as she did. "Lorelai," she addressed her daughter, her smile fading as she turned her head, "you know that we plan our meals ahead of time. You should have called."

"I'm sorry, Mom. It was a last minute thing. Luke was at the house and I asked if he wanted to come…" she tried to cover.

Emily cocked her head to the side, turning her gaze to Luke. "Why don't I believe that is true?"

"Uh…" Luke stammered, looking from Emily to Lorelai.

"Fine," Lorelai admitted. "I didn't want to have to call and tell you that I was bringing Luke."

"Why not?" Emily asked, surprised by her daughter's declaration.

"Look, I don't have to stay if you don't have enough," Luke interjected, not wanting to cause a stir over his presence.

"Don't be absurd. Of course we have enough. You're here; you'll stay," Emily declared.

Lorelai looked down at her shoes. "I … uh … I have some news and I wanted Luke to be here when I tell you guys…" She looked back up at her mother, forcing out a smile.

"You're getting married," Emily blurted out, her face suddenly becoming brighter than it had been before. She no longer looked disapprovingly but rather pleased actually.

"No," Lorelai spoke quickly before glancing at Luke. "Well, nothing official yet."

"Is it about Rory? Something's wrong with Rory and you needed Luke here to tell us?" Now Emily's face was etched with worry, her mood once again suddenly changing.

"Rory is fine, Mom. She's doing great. Can we go in the living room?" she suggested, hoping to stop her mother's inquisition.

"Of course," Emily agreed, sweeping her arm to the side to motion for Lorelai and Luke to proceed.

The three of them filed into the living room.

"Hey, Dad," Lorelai chirped, hoping that the addition of Luke would be smoother than it had been with her mother.

"Lorelai," Richard stood, kissing his daughter on the cheek as she passed by him. "Luke," he stated flatly, looking surprised to see the man standing before him.

"Mr. Gilmore, good to see you," Luke smiled, reaching his hand out. 

Richard nodded, shaking Luke's hand. "Emily, you didn't tell me that we were having four for dinner tonight."

Luke looked down uncomfortably as Lorelai took a seat on the couch and he sat down next to her.

"Lorelai didn't mention it when we spoke last night," Emily informed him. There was no usual tone of annoyance in her voice. She was flat as if she were just stating the facts. "Well, I should go tell the maid to set another plate," Emily smiled, exiting the room.

"So, Luke, how is the diner?" Richard asked, handing his daughter a martini. "A drink?" he asked, motioning towards the bar.

"No, thanks," Luke replied.

Richard picked up his drink, moving to take a seat in the chair opposite the couch. "The diner?" he asked again.

"Very good. Business is great."

"Well, that's wonderful," Richard smiled. "And your daughter … what is her name?"

"April," Luke nodded.

"Yes, April. How is she?"

"She's good too. School starts in about a month."

"Ah, yes, I remember those days. Lorelai used to run around this house like her hair was on fire. We longed for the end of summer," he remembered wistfully. The house had been one loud echo after another, littered with snacks and toys and the sound of slamming doors coming from every direction.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't that bad."

"When she was six, she started a soft ball league in the sun room. No one else, just her and her stuffed animals." Richard smiled involuntarily at the memory.

"The Fluffy Fourteen," Lorelai mused, turning to look at Luke. "We broke up after only a few games. Mr. Pimples and Chuckles didn't get along very well."

Luke's eyes narrowed.

"She also broke three windows," Richard stated, taking a sip of his drink

An awkward silence befell the trio, no one quite certain of what to say next. Finally, Emily re-entered the room and broke the silence. "Well, everything is set. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thanks for making room for me," Luke spoke, looking up at Emily. He had to stop himself from letting his mouth to drop when she smiled at him. It truly looked like a genuine smile, not an Emily Gilmore smile but a real smile. He'd never actually seen one of them directed at him before and it felt kind of odd and quite unfamiliar.

"So, Lorelai, have you heard from Rory?" Emily asked, taking a seat near her husband.

"I talked to her yesterday. She was at some fundraiser in Idaho."

"Idaho?" Luke asked. That didn't sound right.

"I think she means Iowa," Richard suggested, nodding towards Luke.

"Yes! Iowa!" Lorelai chirped in, "Some useless state in the middle of nowhere."

"Iowa is not a useless state, Lorelai. It is a very important-"

"So, what did Rory say when you spoke to her?" Emily interjected, hoping to avoid hearing another prolonged lecture about the importance of the electorate and caucuses from her husband.

Lorelai looked from her father, giving him a sympathetic smile, to her mother. "Uh, she said that she's tired but she's having a lot of fun. Have you been reading her columns? I could show you how if you don't know…"

"Your father showed me," Emily smiled, glancing towards her husband, who gave her a nod.

"Those computer lessons you gave her really worked wonders. I came home the other day and found her surfing the net," Richard mused.

"I was not surfing the …" Emily stopped mid-sentence, realizing that her husband was teasing her. "Oh you," she smiled.

Luke looked between the Gilmores. He had never seen them like this before. They seemed at ease and almost playful. They were nothing at all like the Richard and Emily Gilmore that he remembered, the condescending couple that had never been even remotely happy about his presence in their daughter's life.

"Dinner is ready," the maid announced, appearing in the doorway before quickly returning to the kitchen.

Lorelai shot Luke an encouraging smile as they stood up, resting her hand on his back before he stepped aside to allow her to lead them into the dining room.

"You can sit here, Luke," Emily instructed, motioning towards a seat on the long side of the table, across from where Lorelai was about to sit. "That was Rory's seat, but I suppose that it's about time we found it a new occupant."

Luke nodded, looking up at Emily before he took his seat.

"Not quite as cute as Rory, but he has a nice butt," Lorelai grinned. Both Emily and Richard's heads snapped in her direction as she grinned at Luke, his face suddenly quite pale. "What?" she asked, unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap nonchalantly.

"Thank you, Jane," Emily smiled as the maid brought out the dinner plates, "that will be all for now."

"Yes, ma'am," the girl spoke, quickly exiting the room.

"I think her name is Janine," Richard informed his wife.

"I've been calling her Jane all week…" Emily replied, as if that mere fact made it correct.

Lorelai looked across the table, a small grin visible only to Luke. He darted his eyes away from her and down at the plate in front of him. He wasn't really certain what was on the plate. Yet it did look semi-appetizing.

"It's venison," Emily stated, as if she somehow could read Luke's mind.

Coughing, Lorelai brought her hand to her mouth. "Deer?" she asked, her mouth full.

Emily slowly turned her head to her daughter. "What is wrong with deer meat?"

"Isn't this like a violation of the Disney bylaws?"

"What in the world are you talking about?" Emily asked, looking at her daughter in confusion, glancing towards her husband who shared an equally perplexed look.

"Have you two never seen Bambi?" she asked, looking from her father to her mother. She was greeted with two blank looks. "Nevermind." Looking back down at her plate, she glanced up at Luke. "Come on … Luke, have you ever actually eaten deer meat before?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, "my father used to take me hunting as a little boy."

Lorelai gasped, still in a playful mood, "You were the man in Bambi with the gun?" She held her fork out, pointing it towards him.

"Lorelai, please don't use your silverware to make a point," Emily sighed, cutting her meat.

"It's a natural cycle, Lorelai. Animals hunt and kill each other all the time in search of their next meal," Luke explained.

Lorelai huffed, looking down at her plate as she tried to decide what part to cut first.

"My father used to go off hunting with his friends," Emily commented, "they would dress in these ridiculous outfits and parade out of the house like it was a grand affair."

Luke had to once again stop himself from letting his mouth fall open. Was Emily actually trying to carry on a conversation with him?

Lorelai took a bite of the meat, her face showing her surprise, "This is pretty good. We should have this more often."

Luke rolled his eyes as she looked up at him.

"Will April be visiting you before school starts?" Emily asked, choosing to ignore her daughter.

"I don't think so," Luke stated, "She is on the swim team and their practice starts next week. I may try to go out and visit her a week or two after school begins."

"Where does she live now?" Richard asked.

"New Mexico," Luke informed him, cutting his meat.

"Ah, I've been there a few times."

"So, Dad, how is work?" Lorelai asked. "Still golfing with Floyd and the old gang?"

"Work is fine, Lorelai," Richard spoke, eyeing his daughter as she ate her venison.

"Did you get those tax forms sent in before the extended deadline?"

"Yes," he smiled, "thank you for your help with them."

"You should actually thank Luke," Lorelai smiled, turning back to him, "I didn't know how to find those forms either but Luke showed me how to download them and import the info from QuickBooks and then print everything out."

"Oh," Richard stated in surprise, putting his utensils down. "Well, thank you, Luke. I .. uh, got a bit behind during my health crisis and there were a few things still left to be completed before the government was satisfied with my hefty tax payment."

Luke nodded. "I'm glad I could be of help. I've been running the diner for so many years and you just eventually learn all the secrets of being self-employed."

"Yes," Richard smiled, delighted by a subject that he could enjoy. "I've been encountering all sorts of amusing loopholes and deductions that can be taken. Do you know about some of the educational expenses you can take off?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I take a class or two a year from the community college so that I can claim the expense."

Lorelai's head shot up. "You take classes at the college?" Luke nodded.

"There is nothing more important than education, especially as we get older," Richard smiled.

"Which ones?" Lorelai asked.

"Which what?"

"Classes, Luke, classes!" Lorelai started to make a motion with her fork, but quickly glanced at her mother and sat the fork down instead.

"Accounting, finance, marketing …" Luke shrugged.

"I took all those classes … I never saw you there…"

"Twice a month on Thursday mornings … I don't come in until about 7:30…" Lorelai still looked confused. "They offer classes starting at six o'clock for working adults."

"Six o'clock … in the morning?" Lorelai repeated. Luke nodded once again. "No wonder I never saw you," she mumbled, amazed that anyone would willingly wake up that early to take a class.

"Jane- … ice," Emily interjected, raising her voice so that the maid could hear her. "We're finished with dinner."

The girl slipped into the room, collecting the plates.

"Would you like desert now or would you prefer to wait?" Emily asked, looking from her daughter to Luke.

Luke looked across the table at Lorelai. She tried to read his expression, knowing that the longer they waited, the longer his evening would be for him. "Uh, now is fine," Lorelai smiled.

It only took a few minutes for desert to be served. Watching as some sort of whipped cream creation was set before him, Luke thanked the maid.

"It's just sorbet and whipped cream," Emily smiled, picking up her spoon.

"It looks wonderful," Luke mused, trying to sound truthful.

"Looks great, Mom," Lorelai added.

Desert was as surprisingly pleasant and free of masked insults and skillfully delivered jabs as dinner had been.

Much to Luke's surprise, Richard had insisted that he come to his study for a cigar before leaving. Seeing no way out of it, Lorelai shrugged as Richard led Luke down the hallway, leaving her alone with her mother.

"Why didn't you tell me you were bringing him!" Emily scolded the moment Richard and Luke were gone.

"Gee, Mom, I don't know … maybe because the last time he was here you spent the whole evening insulting him!"

"I did not insult him!" Emily defended herself.

"Come on, Mom …"

"That was ages ago," Emily reminded her daughter. "A lot has changed since then. Luke is now a significant part of your – wait, earlier when you first arrived …" She stopped speaking, looking at Lorelai strangely.

"What? Mom? Do I have some flashing neon sign on my forehead?"

"You said 'nothing official' when I asked if you were getting married."

"What? No. Mom. I didn't say that." Lorelai looked down at her shoes, trying to avoid her mother's gaze.

"Yes, you did. You said 'nothing official yet.' I remember it very clearly." Emily stood firm, refusing to let go of the matter.

"Well, if I did …" Lorelai rolled her eyes at her mother. "Fine, Mother. Luke and I are not officially engaged, but we are talking about it, OK?"

Emily smiled slightly. "You never told your father and I about this news of yours … If it isn't that you are engaged and it isn't about Rory, then what is it?"

Lorelai's head shot up. "Oh yeah … I'll tell you when Dad and Luke get back."

"Why can't you tell me now?" Emily asked.

"Because I want to tell you when Dad and Luke come back, OK?"

"Fine," Emily huffed. "You've been back together for two months and you are already talking about getting married?" she asked, unable to let go of the subject.

Lorelai rubbed the toe of her shoe over the back of her calf, "Well, we don't want to waste any more time."

Emily nodded. "Yes, you are running out of time if you want to have more children."

"Gee, thanks, Mom."

"Well, I'm just stating the truth, Lorelai. You are almost forty years old. There aren't too many years left to have children at this point."

"You do know that these kids would be with Luke, right …?"

"Of course I know that," Emily snapped, rolling her eyes at her daughter's overly dramatic behavior.

"Just making sure," she spoke, trying to force out a polite smile.

"Besides, the idea of having another grandchild is a very pleasant thought," Emily stated, a faint smile visibly flashing across her face.

"Really?" Lorelai asked, trying to hide her shock.

"I'm not that much of a monster, Lorelai, really," Emily huffed, her smile suddenly disappearing.

"No, I didn't mean it that way, Mom. Honestly."

"It's just that … well, it would be very nice to have another grandchild and to …" Emily stopped, uncertain about whether or not to continue.

"To be a part of its life …" Lorelai finished for her mother. Emily nodded, looking up at her daughter. Her lips almost seemed to curl up in a genuine smile and there was a sparkle in her eyes as she looked back at her mother.

Emily was about to say something when they heard Richard and Luke coming into the foyer. Luke had two cigars sticking out of the pocket of his sports coat.

"Are you ready to go?" Lorelai asked as Luke stopped next to her.

Luke nodded.

"Wait!" Emily called out as Lorelai was turning for the door. Lorelai stopped, turning back to her mother. "Your big news …" Emily reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, I'm selling the house," Lorelai blurted out, rather nonchalantly.

"That is your big news?" Emily asked, visibly deflated.

"Do you have a realtor?" Richard asked. "We have a wonderful realtor, if you need one."

"Yes," Lorelai reassured her father, "I have a realtor."

"This is the place that you, on more than one occasion, have referred to as 'The Crap Shack' and selling it is your big news?" Lorelai nodded. "Honestly, Lorelai," Emily sighed.

"It's big news to me, Mom," Lorelai defended. "It would be like you guys selling this place," she countered.

"Oh, come on, Lorelai." Emily opened the front door, still perturbed by her daughter's build-up to such an inconsequential announcement.

"Good night, dear," Richard smiled, placing his hand on Lorelai's shoulder as she walked out the door.

"Good night, Dad, Mom."

"Luke," Richard smiled, holding out his hand. "Enjoy the cigars."

"I will," Luke smiled, "Thank you again."

"Good night, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke nodded as he walked past Emily.

"Luke, you called me Emily before when you were engaged to my daughter. So, you can call me Emily now too."

Luke nodded, stepping behind Lorelai as she turned her head back to wave good-night to her parents one final time.

Hearing the front door close, Luke immediately pulled the sports coat from his shoulders as they got to the car. "I can't believe you made that comment about my butt," he huffed, getting into the passenger's side.

"After two and a half hours, you are still on the butt joke?" Lorelai asked, turning to him in amazement as she absent-mindedly put the key in the ignition.

Luke shrugged, "It was a strangely nice dinner."

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed, pulling on her seat belt. "Strange, for sure. They didn't insult you one time."

"Maybe that's progress," Luke laughed, throwing his sports coat into the back seat before buckling his belt.

"It only took three years," Lorelai laughed, leaning over to kiss Luke before putting the car in reverse.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: I am moving in a few days and I wanted to get this posted before I go. My usual beta is out of town, so I did it on my own - thus, you may find some errors ... or even more than just "some." Anyway, I hope you all will be pleased with the chapter. If you are a JavaJunkie, I think youll like it!

* * *

Lorelai looked down at the box in her hands. She had ripped the side in her feverish attempt to get it open. Now she couldn't read the instructions. How could things have changed that much in twenty years? Back then it was a simple stick that turned pink. So why now after all these years of technological advances was this box talking about plus and minus signs and the color blue? 

"Damn it," she muttered, bending down to look through the garbage can where she had thrown the insides of the box. There surely had to be instructions in there that she had discarded.

"Ah ha!" she declared triumphantly. Scanning the thin insert, she finally found what she was looking for. "Blue plus sign," she read, looking down at the stick in her other hand. It was still blank. "Come on," Lorelai demanded, bouncing anxiously. "How long does this take?" She looked back at the box again. "Three minutes," she huffed.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Lorelai …" She rolled her eyes and sighed at the sound of Michel's heavy accent. "There are guests in the front and it is time for my break. You may want to catch them before they decide to leave."

Lorelai could hear Michel walking away from the bathroom door. Looking back down at the test, it was still blank. She groaned, shoving the test and the instructions back into the box and animatedly throwing it into her purse.

As she jerked the door open, she cursed Michel.

* * *

Lorelai slid onto one of the bar stools, collapsing atop the counter. Luke turned around as she groaned, seeing her splayed out across the counter. 

"You do know I'm going to have to disinfect the counter again, right?" he asked. "People eat off of that."

Lorelai lifted her head, pushing herself back. "They eat off plates on the counter," she argued, flashing him a cute smile. "And besides, I'm sleeping with you, so don't I get to enjoy the perks?"

"A perk of sleeping with me is getting to rub your hair all over my counter?"

Lorelai nodded as Luke picked up a rag from under the counter. As he did so, she looked around. "Luke, there's no one here … it's time to close." He nodded, spraying the countertop with something that smelled of bleach. "You made a big deal about my hair and there isn't even anyone here."

"It's the principal of the matter." He wiped off the counter as he spoke.

"Is the coffee pot still turned on?" she asked.

"No, but I saved you the last cup."

"My hero," she groaned as Luke put the cup in front of her and went back to wiping down the counter. She was about to take a sip of it when the thought entered her mind. "Uh, you know, I'm not really that thirsty after all," she sighed, pushing the mug back towards him.

Luke stopped in his tracks, the rag frozen in his hand. He'd never in all the years he'd known her heard those words come out of her mouth. There was simply nothing he could think to say. No thoughts that could comprehend what she'd just said. Nothing. He took the mug from her in silence, watching her as if some hint might give away why hell had just frozen over.

"Are you about ready to go?" Lorelai asked, hoping to change the subject to another topic.

"Yeah, just let me make sure everything is turned off."

"Ok," Lorelai agreed with a smile, "I'll meet you in the car."

Luke nodded as he watched her slide off the seat. Something was not right with her tonight.

* * *

Lorelai laughed as she pushed open the front door. Luke followed close behind her, laughing about what she'd just said. 

"Do you want a drink or something?" Luke looked at her strangely. "Not that I have anything … I was just asking, you know, to be polite." His look changed into a smile as he shook his head.

Lorelai grinned as Luke dropped his keys on the table and stepped into the living room. "So, you've started packing?" he asked, looking around at the boxes in the room.

"No," she stated simply. "These have been here for a while. And then when I decided to sell the house, I figured I might as well leave them."

"Why do you have boxes in the living room if you weren't packing?" It was sometimes impossible to understand her … or to even try to understand her.

"Well, I was trying to figure out how to take down the TV. I hate that thing. It doesn't look right in here. Then I realized that there was a box not only for the TV but also for all the things that go with the TV. Then there was a smaller box for the remote and the control panel thing. And after I looked at the instruction booklet, I gave up."

"Would you like me to do it?" Luke asked.

"You know how to do that kind of stuff?"

Luke cocked his head to the side. "Lorelai … I have fixed nearly everything in this house at least once. I think I can figure out how to take down a TV."

Lorelai smiled. "I like the idea of having a man around the house … Fixing things and taking his shirt off while he's working …"

"I don't take my shirt off," Luke huffed, moving over to look at the TV and examine the connectors.

"You'll take your shirt off if I turn on the heat while you are working," she grinned.

Luke rolled his eyes, ignoring her comment as he looked up at the TV. Turning back around, he smiled at the way she was leaning against the side of the couch, watching him.

"What?" he laughed, a little nervously.

"I mean it, Luke … I really like the idea of having not just a man around the house, but of having you around. I know we basically live together now and that we spend almost every night together. But, I don't know … I guess it will just be different when it's our house and …" She sighed, sitting down on the arm of the couch. "I don't know."

Luke smiled as he stepped towards her. "I know exactly what you mean," he soothed. "I just … I just want to be with you. That's all," he shrugged.

Lorelai stood up, about to say something when Luke pressed his finger against her lips. Stepping away from her, Lorelai watched as he lowered himself to the floor. Luke placed his left knee on the floor, wobbling just a bit as he found his balance. Once again, Lorelai opened her mouth to speak. Luke shook his head. "You got to do this the last time. Now, it's my turn."

Smiling down at him, Lorelai took a deep breath and sniffed. She could feel the emotions already rushing to her, so intense and powerful.

"I have waited a long time for this. The first time I saw you, you took my breath away. The world just stopped. And I didn't know why. I really had no clue how important you would become to me. I just saw this woman standing in front of me … and I knew my life would never be the same again." Luke smiled at the fond memory, the image of a young Lorelai flashing in his mind. "I have watched you grow up in this town. I watched you as you tried to raise a kid on your own and prove that you didn't need anyone's help. I poured your coffee in the mornings and watched you live a life that most women wouldn't be able to handle. But you did it as if it were nothing and as if being a single mother and working all day and night were nothing. You made me fall in love with not only you, but Rory too. I know that I have April now and I adore her more than I can ever explain. But I didn't get to watch her grow up. I didn't get to go to her school plays or to buy candy from her at the school fair. I wasn't there for any of that yet I didn't miss out on it because I got to watch Rory grow up. And I got to see what is like to raise a child and to be part of her life. You gave me that gift, Lorelai. I didn't ever know if we'd find the right time to be together. I just always knew that no other woman would ever make me happy. No matter how hard I've tried … from that first moment I saw you, it was only ever you."

Lorelai bit her lip, looking down at Luke. The tears had already filled her eyes and were making her sight blurry. She blinked a few times, using her free hand to try and wipe away the tears.

"I know that we've had a rough few years … but this time is going to be different. No more lies. No more secrets. No more hiding from the truth. Without you, I'm miserable. I don't ever want to go back to that. I don't want to waste any more time."

"Luke," she tried to interrupt him, reaching out her hand to get his attention. She had to tell him. She had to tell him now.

Instead of allowing her to speak, he took her hand in his own. "I guess what I'm trying to say is ..." With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and took out a small, black box. Finally letting go of her hand, he opened the box and held it out to her. "Lorelai Gilmore, will you marry me?"

Lorelai looked down at the ring that was staring back at her. It was a different ring than the last one he'd given her but she didn't even seem to notice the ring or the man standing before her. All she could think of was one thing. "Luke, I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

Luke's eyes narrowed as he watched her face, waiting for the response that he thought was sure to come. "Is that a yes?" he asked, uncertain of how to deal with her announcement.

"What?" Lorelai looked from the ring back to Luke.

"I just asked you to marry me," he reminded her, wondering if she had heard the question at all.

"And I just told you that I'm pregnant," she stated, wondering if Luke had even heard her declaration.

"I asked you to marry me ... I'm holding a ring in my hands..." He was still bent down on his knee, holding the ring out to her, somehow frozen in time as he waited for her answer.

"Luke," Lorelai reached out to grasp his shoulders. "I'm having a baby. We're having a baby," she stated more clearly. "Luke," she repeated, seeing him looking down at the box and back at her.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked.

"Luke... did you hear me?" she questioned, her hands still resting on his shoulders.

"Just answer the question," he stated.

Lorelai took a deep breath. This was too much to take in at one time. There were too many thoughts and too much going on inside her head. "Ask me again," she stated, looking from him to the ring once again.

"Will you marry me?" he repeated.

Allowing herself to give in to the moment and push her own news aside for a few seconds, she felt the tears sting her eyes as the weight of the moment finally hit her. She looked down at the ring that was being presented to her. It was a simple ring with a silver band and a diamond in the middle. It wasn't overpowering but it definitely wasn't minute either. Scanning her eyes from the ring up Luke's chest and to his face again, she smiled slowly. Lorelai bit the side of her lip, blinking her eyes a few times and trying to widen them enough to hold back the tears. "Yes," she whispered with a nod, "yes, I will marry you."

Luke listened to her answer. Despite the fact that he knew she'd say yes, he still felt a wave of relief wash over him as she answered in the affirmative. Smiling, he took the ring from the box and reached for her hand. Sliding it slowly onto her finger just as he'd done the first time, he held onto her hand. Looking down at the ring as it rest on her finger, he brushed his thumb over it.

Lorelai smiled as she looked down at the ring. This time, she didn't just believe that they would get married; she knew it would really happen this time.

Pushing himself up, Luke wrapped his arms around Lorelai's waist, spinning her around for a second. When he finally placed her back on his feet, he bent his head forward to kiss her. Crushing her body against his, he held her tightly as his tongue searched out hers. He pressed his hand against her back, trying to draw her impossibly closer. Neither of them were willing to let go of the other until they were finally forced to break for air.

Panting, their foreheads rested against each other. Suddenly, Luke let go of her, stepping back. "What ... what did you say earlier?" he asked, trying to replay his proposal in his head.

Lorelai smiled as a laugh escaped her. "Luke ... I'm pregnant," she announced again. She tried to keep her expression blank, waiting to see how he would respond to the news.

"You're having a baby ..." Luke spoke slowly.

"We're having a baby," she corrected him. "I'm only about ten weeks along."

"Ten weeks..." Luke thought out loud. "That was ..."

"The night Rory left," she reminded him.

Luke laughed, "One kid out of the house and now there's another one right behind it ..."

Lorelai's eyes narrowed. "You are happy about this, aren't you? I mean ... I know we aren't married yet and that we didn't exactly plan this, but we have-"

Grabbing her upper arms, Luke silenced her as he kissed her passionately. Finally pulling away after a few moments, he looked into her eyes. "Yes, I'm happy, Lorelai. Having a child with you is all I've ever really wanted."

Lorelai smiled half-heartedly, looking down for a moment.

"Lorelai ..." Luke prodded, sensing that she was not quite as elated as him.

"I thought that I just wanted to have another child and then when ... when we were apart, I realized that the only thing I really, really wanted was to have a baby with you. I wanted to go to the doctor for check-ups and for you to be sitting in the chair next to me, looking uncomfortable. I wanted to feel the baby kick for the first time and to be able to grab your hand. It made me smile to think about getting annoyed with your aversion for hospitals when I'm in labor. And all of those moments after the baby is born. I just ... I guess I realized that it was never going to happen, you know? And now ... I … I don't know what I feel. I accepted that this was never going to happen. And now ..."

"And now it's happening," he spoke softly. Lorelai nodded.

"I am happy," she reassured him. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed too."

Luke bent his head forward, kissing her again. The kiss quickly escalated and they both clung to each other, kissing feverishly. Luke pushed her back and they both stumbled around for a few steps until the back of Lorelai's legs finally hit the couch. Bending involuntarily at the knees, she tumbled backwards as Luke fell along with her. They bounced as the springs on the couch reacted to the sudden impact of their weights. Neither Luke nor Lorelai noticed the pain in their muscles as their bodies collided. Instead, it somehow added to the intensity of the passion as their lips never ceased to part, neither willing to break away from the other or to let go of their grasp on each other.

A few magazines and the TV remote pressed into Lorelai's back and shoulder, the sharp edges of the magazine pages digging into her skin. She paid them no attention; her arms were pressed to the sides of Luke's body, her hands tight against his lower back. Luke's grasp on her hips remained strong as Lorelai lay beneath him. Only when Luke's lips left her own to trail kisses over the side of her mouth and chin did she finally gasp for air. Filling her lungs in one breath, her head dipped back as she felt Luke's tongue against her neck. He traced an unintelligible pattern as she squirmed beneath him. She now felt the magazine and the remote irritating her skin.

Luke's hands slid up the sides of her body, searching out the hem of her shirt. Lorelai moaned as his fingers brushed against her skin, sliding beneath the top. She arched her back to allow him to pull the shirt up. Sliding her own hand beneath her back, she hurled the magazine and remote from the couch, not caring about where they landed. Finally, Luke freed her from the top. As Lorelai soon as the shirt was flung across the room, Luke's lips were upon her bare skin. His hands ran over her stomach and he pushed himself up into a semi-seated position. As Lorelai lay before him, stretched out on the couch, he slid off of it and knelt before her.

Lowering his head to her stomach, he kissed it tenderly. Lorelai let her head roll back against the arm rest as he circled her belly button with his tongue. She squirmed involuntarily, a laugh escaping her lips. He brushed his hands up and down her sides, sending a shiver through her skin. Lorelai opened her eyes to look down at Luke as he grasped the button on her jeans and held the zipper in his other hand. He slid it down as he looked up, his eyes meeting hers. They both stared at each other for a moment. Lorelai smiled slightly and Luke's hands moved to the waistband of her jeans. She willingly lifted her hips, moaning as his hands slowly slid the jeans down her slender legs. Tossing them aside, he brushed his hand up the insides of her legs. Moving over her ankles to her calves, his hand moved in circles as he made sure to touch every inch of exposed skin.

Moving forward, Luke kissed her knee as his hand brushed under it, sliding up the inside of her thigh. He traced the line of her panties with his finger, his hand moving to her hip. Lorelai laid her head against the arm rest, her eyes closing as she gave in to the sensation of Luke's touch. Every time that she felt his hand on one part of her body, it had moved to another before she could react to it. She moaned lowly as his hand brushed beneath her panty line and tempted her.

Luke's hand slid from her stomach and moved down. As his fingers glided across her, she felt her body twitch in anticipation. This time, his fingers slid beneath the thin material at her inner thigh. Her hips moved up to meet his hand involuntarily. As his thumb brushed lightly against her, she inhaled sharply. Moving in slow circles, he knew exactly where to apply just enough pressure to make her gasp for air.

Lorelai dug her head back into the arm rest, grasping the back of the couch with her right arm. Luke glanced up at her, encouraged to go further by her reaction. She groaned deeply as he rubbed his thumb across her sensitive skin. Pressing harder against her, he moved inside of her, eliciting a new sound with each tiny movement.

Whispering his name, she whimpered as he moved his hand from her thigh. When she opened her eyes to look down at him, she was panting heavily. It took all the strength that she could find to force herself to lift her hips enough for Luke to slide her panties down her legs.

She felt his hand brushing up the outside of her leg and suddenly she felt a renewed vigor. Her body began to once again pump the blood to her brain and she sat up. Rolling her head forward to look at him, she slid her legs from the couch, ordering Luke to stand up.

"What?" he mumbled, watching as she put her feet on the floor and turned her body towards his.

"Stand up," she repeated, intertwining her fingers into his belt loop and trying to make him stand. Giving into her unexpected command, he pushed himself to his feet.

Luke held his hands out, about to ask her what now when she jerked the top button of his jeans loose and undid the zipper in a matter of seconds. Shoving the pants down his legs, she didn't even bother to remove them. "Take off your shirt," she ordered him once again, moving to kneel before him as he kicked his pants aside. Lorelai smiled as his hard member rested directly within her line of sight. Summer was always her favorite season, the time of year when it was too hot for him to bother wearing boxers.

Looking down at her, Luke did as she ordered, unbuttoning a few top buttons before pulling the shirt over his head. As soon as it was slid from his body, Lorelai reached forward, taking him in her right hand. Luke groaned the moment he felt her warm fingers wrap around him. She smiled at the way his body reacted to her, his hips jerking forward as she stroked him gently. Brushing her hand back and forth over his shaft, she enjoyed the feel of it against her palm, sliding beneath her fingers. Luke involuntarily closed his eyes but forced himself to open them again. What she was doing was too intoxicating and alluring to not watch her as she went to work. She stroked him a few more times, increasing the pressure and the speed until she heard Luke's breathing getting heavier. He was taking deep breaths and inhaled unexpectedly as she brushed her thumb over his tip. Finally, she lowered her head down, taking him in her mouth. In that instant, his eyes slid closed as she wrapped her mouth around him, encircling him with her warmth. Her tongue teased him for a few moments until she began to suck him. As she moved her head, Luke groaned, her name escaping from his lips as she sent waves of pleasure through his body. Every movement that she made and the way that he slid in and out of her mouth, he somehow felt every muscle and every vein and every nerve on edge.

Forcing himself to regain some semblance of control, he reached out and grasped her shoulder. If she kept going a second longer, he was going to lose control of himself. Lorelai stopped, looking up at him as he grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up. Trying to scramble to her feet, she stumbled a bit as Luke shoved her back onto the couch. She hit it with a thud, knocking the breath out of her for a second. Her arm slid around his waist as he grasped her knee, shoving it out of his way so that he could plunge into her. As her back landed on the couch, she felt him entering her. It was forceful and intense yet she moaned in delight at the ripping pleasure it sent through her lower body.

Lorelai squirmed a bit as Luke's body pressed down on hers. It took her a moment to regain her senses and to respond to him. Her leg wrapped around his as he moved against her, hard and fast. Luke grasped her upper arms, squeezing them tightly as he thrust into her. Each time that he pushed into her, she felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. She groaned his name as her body shook, his forceful thrusts sending waves throughout her entire body. She arched her back and slid her foot up the back of his leg. As she did so, Luke moved his hand from her shoulder to her thigh. Grasping it, his fingers dug into her skin as he pumped into her. Spreading her legs further apart, he pushed deeper into her, eliciting a new series of moans from her lips.

She grasped the back of the couch with her hand, her knuckles turning white. She could feel every inch of Luke inside of her as he moved harshly against her. He glided into and out of her so effortlessly that she didn't quite know what he was doing, but her body reacted to him involuntarily and she held her eyes closed. It was too much and too intense to open her eyes. Opening her eyes would require her to think. She'd have to tell her body to open them. And right now her body was unable to respond to that request.

As Luke pumped into her, she let her head fall back. Luke rubbed his body against hers, his chest pressing down upon her as he bent his head forward to kiss her neck. Lorelai groaned at the feel of his lips against her neck. All she felt was him. Him inside of her. Him kissing her neck. Him pressing down upon her chest. Him filling her senses and pushing her over the edge. It was too much. She gasped for air as she felt him quickening the pace, pumping into her as he drove his hips forward one final time.

Lorelai groaned deeply, her mouth slightly open as she sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. She had no thoughts, no emotions, nothing as she lay beneath him, her body still reacting to his even as her movements stilled. Luke moved his head to kiss Lorelai's shoulder but she didn't feel his lips. It took another few seconds before she could even move her arms.

As she finally opened her eyes and lifted her head, she leaned her head against Luke's. They were both silent for a few minutes, the sounds of their pants filling the air. Finally, Luke found the ability to move, using his upper arms to push himself up. Lorelai groaned, her back arching as her hips lifted and Luke slid from within her. He fell back against the couch, sitting down as Lorelai struggled to also push herself into a seated position. She still felt a throbbing tingle between her legs. It was just now that her breathing was finally coming under control.

"When do you want to get married?" she asked.

"Yesterday," Luke panted, turning his head to look over at her.

"Sounds good to me," Lorelai breathed, watching as Luke's face broke out into a smile.

"How about next month?" he suggested.

Lorelai nodded. "We have a lot to plan. A baby and a wedding both."

"Is it OK if I admit that I'm actually more excited about the baby?" he asked, a bit sheepishly.

Lorelai smiled, nodding. "So am I." Her smile spread into a wider grin as she looked at Luke. "The wedding almost seems like an afterthought, doesn't it?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we can't get away with just eloping, can we?"

Lorelai thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think we can. My mother would never forgive me for doing that to her twice."

"You think she'd go for meeting us at City Hall and being a witness for Judge Bailey?" Luke suggested, already knowing Lorelai's response.

"I don't know what we can do, Luke. I don't know," she sighed.

Luke looked at her with a blank expression and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we have to tell her first," he suggested.

"Let's talk about that later," Lorelai grinned. Grabbing the throw from the back of the couch, she wrapped it around her body. As she stood from the couch, she almost seemed to bounce across the room. "I now have an excuse to eat anything I want …" she declared, moving to the desk to open a drawer.

Luke watched as she pulled out a large file and began to flip through it, tossing a few things to the side. "You already eat whatever you want."

"Yes, but now I have a good excuse. Before I had nothing..." She looked over at him, "Chinese or Thai?" she asked, holding up two take-out menus. "I figure that I can go get the wings and you can pick up the barbeque. The Chinese place will deliver and so will the sub shop around the corner."

"Lorelai," Luke interrupted her. "You are pregnant, not a garbage disposal."

She stopped flipping through the menus and looked at him in shock.

"You can't eat all of that when you're pregnant…"

"I did it before," she protested, holding onto the edge of the blanket as it skimmed the floor.

"Well, you weren't pregnant with my child before," he stated rather simply.

Lorelai's eyes narrowed and she dropped the menus down. "Fine," she huffed. "Can I at least get some egg rolls?"

"We'll see," Luke conceded. "Give me the folder and we'll find something decent to eat."

Lorelai's frown turned into a grin as she grabbed the file and bounced back to the couch, plopping down next to Luke.

"Tomorrow," he stated, looking at her purposefully, "you are going to start eating healthy."

"But tonight I can eat whatever I want!" she grinned, opening the folder again. "Do you think the baby would like curry chicken?" she smiled, holding up a menu for an Indian diner in Hartford. Luke shook his head. "I think it would," she mumbled, flipping through the folder.


End file.
